News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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It’s not easy to get used to driving 10 miles per hour slower on a short stretch of highway you’ve been traveling daily for decades. That’s a problem many folks face trying, straining, braking to navigate the multi-lane stretch of highway 155 by the Bureau of Reclamation’s Grand Coulee Project, which the bureau slowed from 40 to 30 mph because it’s building a new fire station across from Pole Park. Even if traveling more slowly in front of a fire station is warranted, slowing the entire stretch seems a bit much. Admittedly, that complaint sound... Full story
John Berry, a Bureau of Reclamation engineer, observes tensiometer readings of the cable pull during puller machine tests used for maneuvering the floating caisson, maintaining contact with shore stations by short-wave radio. These tests were made by the Pacific Bridge Company, a contractor, as part of repairs made to the spillway bucket section of Grand Coulee Dam. - March 9, 1949 photo... Full story
A telephone service outage for CenturyLink customers in the Grand Coulee Dam area lasted for several days following a power outage centered in in Ephrata. A spokesperson for CenturyLink said that there had been several phone outages in eastern Washington following an electrical transformer fire in Ephrata Wednesday night. Ephrata and Omak also suffered telephone outages, noted Kerry Zimmer, eastern Washington marketing and communications manager for CenturyLink. Coulee Dam's problem seemed to... Full story
Clean clothes, dirty money A Nespelem couple washing clothes at a laundromat on E Grand Avenue Feb. 5, ended up with clean clothes and a counterfeit $20 bill. The couple told police that they were approached by a tall slender, white male with brown hair and carrying a mandolin. The man asked if they could exchange a crisp $20 bill for one that was all folded up, because the crumbled bill would not work in the change machine. The Nespelem man said he had only $16, but they exchanged money and the man left on foot. A few days later it was... Full story
Parts of Electric City’s proposed trail system received the most “push back” of any of the features of the city’s Pathway and Revitalization plan. In workshops and before the council, local residents expressed their opposition to a planned Ice Age Floods Trail, particularly one that goes through a residential area on Lakeview. Other segments of the trail system won unanimous approval by an Electric City resident advisory group that voted in unison on most of the trail ideas, but only 50 percent on a shoreline park off Sunny Drive. Two of the... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual Installation Banquet last Thursday night at the Melody Restaurant in Coulee Dam. The chamber annually makes an award to its "Achiever of the Year" and "Business of the Year" and names any changes to its board of directors at its annual members meeting. Named "Achiever of the Year" was Gerald Sands. Sands served as mayor of Electric City for a four-year term and part of a second term, and currently serves as a commissioner of Grant Cou... Full story
Our conversations seem to be revolving around the weather. It’s understandable, it’s been cold and wet; lots of snow on the ground, and some of our friends have been south or to Mexico and are bragging. We also have a general tendency to not like cold. There are some exceptions; I’m one, I prefer cool weather, not hot. The curse of a lot of folks this time of year is the snow. It builds up, creates a mess that requires removal and/or piling, and can be a pain, literally, to walk and drive on. Snow, an interesting word. I did a little research a... Full story
Residents of Elmer City could develop a healthier lifestyle as a result of a $250,000 grant the town received last week for a plan that calls for a trail along the Lower River Road that will link some town streets to the Down River Trail. Elmer City’s “Complete Streets” project likely will be done in 2018, Public Works Director Jimmer Tillman said last week. The work plan, shared with the town council last Thursday, calls for links from the town to the Bureau of Reclamation’s Down River Trail system along the Columbia River. One of the key elem... Full story
The phone service outage in the Grand Coulee Dam area still has no end in sight. Crews will be working through the night on the cable damage. From a power outage and from excessive water. Here's the latest full press release from the company: A CenturyLink customers in Coulee Dam and surrounding areas out of service SPOKANE, WA. – CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) Due to an earlier power failure and extensive water damage, cables in downtown Coulee Dam are out of service impacting approximately 1,000 voice customers in Coulee Dam and the surroundin...
The O'Donnell brothers, Colin and "Spud," emerge from the waters of the Columbia River, below the downstream face of Grand Coulee Dam. These professional divers were engaged by the Bureau of Reclamation to assist in the river channel improvement operations. – Feb. 20, 1945 photo... Full story
An environmental group that sued to force changes at Grand Coulee Dam says it has reached a settlement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Columbia Riverkeeper announced last week that the Bureau had agreed to investigate the possibility of replacing petroleum oil-based lubricants with “eco-friendly lubricants” or switch to using non-lubricated equipment in places where those lubricants touch the water. The settlement is based on a similar outcome in 2014 when the group settled a suit against the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. That agency has... Full story
Let’s start out with a quick look back at 2016 weather, shall we? What really stands out for me in 2016 was the amount of precipitation we received. Our area averages 10.55 inches annually. Well, that changed and will likely change the overall average as well. We had three months with really good precipitation — January: 2.15 inches as measured by my personal weather station (1.90 inches as measured by the official weather station at the Bureau of Reclamation), March: 2.70 inches (1.82) and October: 3.60 inches (3.98). Our total pre... Full story
The POWER program to feed game birds in the winter will soon end. Lack of “manpower” is finally catching up to the longtime program by POWER (Promoters of Wildlife and Environmental Resources). Carl Russell, longtime president of the organization, said that when the final sacks of feed are distributed, the program will end. Some 59 small backyard feeders are scattered around the community along with 15 large feeders, and have been a food refuge for quail and other game birds for over 20 years, Russell stated. Russell recently resigned as pre... Full story
School enrollment up The average enrollment at Lake Roosevelt Schools for December was 714, according to school officials. The district had budgeted for an average of 690 for this school year. Street carts still being considered The Grand Coulee City Council is still considering allowing golf carts, ATVs and ORVs to roll on city streets. Some council members are leery of allowing the carts because of highway traffic. The carts wouldn’t be allowed to drive on the highways, but could cross only at designated areas. Police Chief John Tufts told t... Full story
It had never been done here before, but by the time they pulled it off, about 250 hospital employees were trained in what to do if an "active shooter" ever enters Coulee Medical Center. No one knew exactly what scenario would play out or how long it would take Nov. 5, when the hospital's parking lot looked like a law enforcement/fire/EMS show of force. Multiple agencies from across the region wanted the chance to learn how to respond to such an event in a facility like a hospital, which cannot... Full story
Wayne Stewart Rawley passed away quietly on Sunday, November 20, 2016. Wayne spent his last years at Golden Years Retirement Home in Riverside, Washington, where he was lovingly cared for by Mandy and Ryan Holtz. Wayne was born on July 5, 1927, in Bridgeport, Washington, to John and Ruth Rawley. Wayne, his brother Stanley, and their parents moved to Tonasket where their parents worked for the local telephone company. After his parents divorced, Wayne, Stanley and their mother moved to Mason... Full story
A fire late Monday morning at 415 North Columbia in Coulee Dam damaged the rear area of a garage at the home of Tim Wilging. The fire brought trucks from Electric City, Grand Coulee and the Bureau of Reclamation. The fire was quickly extinguished and the cause of the fire was not determined. - Roger Lucas photo... Full story
The Bureau of Reclamation Grand Coulee Dam is anticipating construction of its new fire station this spring, but there will be several changes before construction begins, the agency said in a press release. On Nov. 21, the speed limit will be lowered from 40 mph to 30 mph on the section of SR-155 that passes the Grand Coulee Industrial Area facilities, where heavy equipment and construction vehicles will enter and exit the highway at Industrial Road for approximately 18 months after... Full story
Lynn M Jackson, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, November 6, in Spokane, Washington, surrounded by family. Lynn grew up on a farm and graduated in 1943 from Sunfield High School in Michigan. After serving two years in the Army, he and his bride moved to Washington where he furthered his education, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1953 from Eastern Washington College of Education. Lynn taught school in Clarkston and Grand Coulee, Washington, before accepting a job as a pipefitter... Full story
The Bureau of Reclamation is extending the public comment period for a proposed multi-year powerplant overhaul project at two Grand Coulee Dam powerhouses. The initial 30-day comment period ended Nov. 7; however, at the public’s request, it has been extended to Nov. 21. Reclamation is requesting public and agency input to help identify issues to be addressed in an environmental assessment for the proposed project to overhaul the 18 generating units in the left and right powerhouses. The 18 generating units and three station service units h... Full story
A trailer fire destroyed an older residence at 306 Burdin Boulevard last Wednesday morning. One firefighter, Jerry Sands, said Grand Coulee was the second fire department to respond, with the Bureau of Reclamation fire truck arriving at the scene moments earlier. The mobile home, sandwiched between other trailers, was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. Several fire departments responded, and police provided control on Burdin Boulevard. The fire started just before 6:30 a.m., and other... Full story
Coulee Dam's Candy Point trail is getting a makeover from the Washington Trails Association. This past weekend, 10-15 volunteers from all over Washington worked on clearing brush along the Candy Point Trail, starting behind town hall, where a lesser-known trailhead has become overgrown with brush over the years. Workers pruned branches and hauled them back to the trailhead, where the vegetation awaited wood chipping by the town crew before being hauled off. The trail was built in 1937 by the Civ... Full story
The three federal agencies whose dams control the Columbia River system are rethinking the whole complex process, and that should make everyone pay close attention. Next Tuesday, the Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers and the Bonneville Power Administration will hold in Coulee Dam the second in a series of 15 public meetings from Wenatchee to Missoula to Astoria inviting the public to comment on the scope of work to include as it launches another massive effort to rethink the system in favor of ensuring endangered fish survival.... Full story
The Bureau of Reclamation is inviting the public to comment on a proposed multiyear powerplant overhaul project at two Grand Coulee Dam powerhouses. During the 30-day comment period that ends Nov. 7, the public is encouraged to identify issues and concerns to be addressed in an Environmental Assessment on the proposed modernization and overhaul of all the generators in the Left and Right Powerhouses, a press release issued Oct. 7 said. The 18 generating units and three station service units have been in operation for over 70 years and are... Full story
The first annual Breast Cancer fun walk/run was a success. Over 100 people registered for the event but due to other commitments and the cooler weather not all were able to participate. We would like to thank all our sponsors: monetary — A. J. Gerard, Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union and Costco (north Spokane branch). Food Donations: Safeway for the water, Ed’s Meats for wieners and Franz bread for the hot dog buns. Gift Certificates: Loepp Furniture, Hometown Pizza, Coulee Hardware, Pepper Jack’s, Café Espresso, Fusion Café, R&A Café, LaPresa,... Full story